Wine Archive

2015

Vineyard: Ellis Alden Vineyard sits at an elevation of 1400 feet along the sun-drenched western slopes of the Mayacamas Mountains in the Alexander Valley. Isolated within a sprawling 4,000 acre ranch, the 200 acres of vines enjoy a pristine growing environment, above the fog line and sheltered from wind, frost, and negative pathogens. The Sauvignon Blanc is planted in a low spot in the vineyard where cool air collects, allowing the grapes to hang long enough to develop ripe flavors while retaining acidity.

Vintage: A warm winter gave us early bud break, which was followed by unsettled weather in the spring. These factors led to an uneven fruit set and the accompanying low yields. Luckily the summer was free of too many extreme heat spikes, and although harvest was early and yields were small, quality was very good. We brought in our Sauvignon Blanc from Alden Vineyard on August 27th, a week or so ahead of the normal schedule, and the bright fruit and racy acidity of this site was singing as usual.

Winemaking: Our third year making wine from this exceptional vineyard, we again experimented with a different method of production to explore its true potential. Taking a somewhat more traditional approach this time around, the fruit was pressed whole cluster into a settling tank, and then set down into barrels for fermentation – one new French oak, three neutral French oak, and one stainless steel. Both primary and malolactic fermentation occurred spontaneously in these vessels with wild yeast, and the wine rested on its lees for 6 months before it was filtered and bottled.

2014

Vineyard: One of the most famous plots of land in all of Napa, the Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard is located on the valley floor in Rutherford between Conn Creek Road and Silverado Trail. The well-draining, gravelly loam soils from the former creek bed combine with ideal sun exposure to yield wines with richness, fruit intensity and structure. This wine is sourced from the B1a and E blocks of the vineyard, planted on opposite sides of Conn Creek.

Vintage: The third straight year of drought triggered much stress for vineyard owners, but generally contributed to fantastic quality wines. A warm dry winter caused the vines to start their annual life cycle ahead of schedule, but aside from some wind, the spring was free of major weather. All the grape varieties seemed to ripen at once, and the pace in the winery at crush was hectic, but luckily the cooler than normal August brought us an average size crop of ripe grapes with beautifully balanced acids.

Winemaking: The grapes were destemmed into one open-top tank for a brief cold soak before fermentation began spontaneously with wild yeast. Fermentation continued without the addition of any chemicals or enzymes, aided only by a bit of heat and occasional pump-overs. After pressing the wine went into 100% new French oak barrels and aged for 24 months, and was racked only once, immediately prior to bottling.

Vineyards: The Vintage Select combines lots from all of our vineyards to give the truest expression of the character of each vintage in Sonoma County. The 2014 edition of this wine was sourced in large part (85%) from Ellis Alden Vineyard in Alexander Valley, a mountain site featuring small berries packed with flavor and structure. The blend also includes 10% Cabernet from Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard and 5% Malbec from Blau Vineyard in Knights Valley.

Vintage: The third straight year of drought triggered much stress for vineyard owners, but generally contributed to fantastic quality wines. A warm dry winter caused the vines to start their annual life cycle ahead of schedule, but aside from some wind, the spring was free of major weather. All the grape varieties seemed to ripen at once, and the pace in the winery at crush was hectic, but luckily the cooler than normal August brought us an average size crop of ripe grapes with beautifully balanced acids.

Winemaking: The grapes were de-stemmed into small open-top tanks for a long cold soak to encourage development of color before fermentation began spontaneously with wild yeast. Fermentation continued without the addition of any chemicals or enzymes, aided only by a bit of heat and sporadic pump-overs. After pressing the wine went into French oak barrels – 50% of which were new – aged for 24 months, and was racked only once, immediately prior to bottling.

Winemaking: Our Malbec from Blau Vineyard was destemmed into one open-top tank, where it soaked on the skins for one day before a small saignée was done into a stainless steel barrel for a bit of rosé. The rosé was fermented with its native yeast and aged sur lie in stainless steel for one year. It underwent a partial malolactic fermentation, and was blended with a small amount of Sauvignon Blanc before bottling. The result is a uniquely earthy rosé with both richness and raciness.

Vintage: The third straight year of drought triggered much stress for vineyard owners, but generally contributed to fantastic quality wines. A warm dry winter caused the vines to start their annual life cycle ahead of schedule, but aside from some wind, the spring was free of major weather. All the grape varieties seemed to ripen at once, and the pace in the winery at crush was hectic, but luckily the cooler than normal August brought us an average size crop of ripe grapes with beautifully balanced acids.

Vineyard: As you drive from Calistoga across the county line into Sonoma’s Knights Valley, the first vineyard you come across is Blau Vineyard. Protected from Pacific Ocean influences more than other Sonoma County growing regions, the warmer climate, slightly higher elevation, and volcanic soils all combine to create a fertile hunting ground for Bordeaux varietal wines that are savory, mineral-driven, and full of character. Malbec is the primary focus for the ageless Bill Blau, and is planted on the prime hillside spots to attract sunshine and drain away excess moisture.

Winemaking: “Entre Deux” is a departure from typical California Sauvignon Blanc in several ways, beginning with the fermentation in contact with the skins and ending with extended barrel aging. The goal of this orange wine style is to coax uncommon texture, complexity and age-ability from white grapes. The wild yeast fermentation began in contact with the skins for a period of ten days with daily punch downs. It was then pressed and racked into 25% new French oak barrels and 75% stainless steel, where it finished fermentation and aged sur-lie without racking for 14 months.

Vineyard: The 2014 Entre Deux is sourced entirely from the Ellis Alden Vineyard, which sits at an elevation of 1400 feet along the sun-drenched western slopes of the Mayacamas Mountains in the Alexander Valley. Isolated within a sprawling 4,000 acre ranch, the 200 acres of vines enjoy a pristine growing environment, above the fog line and sheltered from wind, frost, and negative pathogens. The Sauvignon Blanc is planted in a low spot in the vineyard where cool air collects, allowing the grapes to hang long enough to develop ripe flavors while retaining acidity.

Vintage: The third straight year of drought triggered much stress for vineyard owners, but generally contributed to fantastic quality wines. A warm dry winter caused the vines to start their annual life cycle ahead of schedule, but aside from some wind, the spring was free of major weather. All the grape varieties seemed to ripen at once, and the pace in the winery at crush was hectic, but luckily the cooler than normal August brought us an average size crop of ripe grapes with beautifully balanced acids.

Vineyard: As you drive from Calistoga in Northern Napa across the county line into Sonoma’s Knights Valley, the first vines you see belong to Blau Vineyard. Protected from Pacific Ocean influences more than other Sonoma County growing regions, the warmer climate, slightly higher elevation, and volcanic soils here all combine to create a fertile hunting ground for Bordeaux varietal wines that are savory, mineral-driven, and full of character. Malbec is the primary focus for the ageless Bill Blau, and is planted on the prime hillside spots to attract sunshine and drain away excess moisture.

Vintage: The third straight year of drought triggered much stress for vineyard owners, but generally contributed to fantastic quality wines. A warm dry winter caused the vines to start their annual life cycle ahead of schedule, but aside from some wind, the spring was free of major weather. All the grape varieties seemed to ripen at once, and the pace in the winery at crush was hectic, but luckily the cooler than normal August brought us an average size crop of ripe grapes with beautifully balanced acids.

Winemaking: Our Malbec from Blau Vineyard was destemmed into one open-top tank, and was concentrated via a small saignée before it cold-soaked for several days. Fermentation started spontaneously with wild yeast and the must was punched down manually twice per day for two weeks followed by pressing and racking into barrel. The wine aged for 16 months in French oak barrels, 33% of which were new, and was racked only once, immediately prior to bottling.

2013

Vineyard: One of the most famous plots of land in all of Napa, the Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard is located on the valley floor in Rutherford between Conn Creek Road and Silverado Trail. The well-draining, gravelly loam soils from the former creek bed combine with ideal sun exposure to yield wines with richness, fruit intensity and structure. This wine is sourced from the B1a block of the vineyard, planted in 1992 to Cabernet clone 7.

Vintage: From the beginning 2013 was destined to be an epic vintage, as textbook spring conditions produced steady flowering and an ideal fruit set. Clear warm days and cool nights continued on an uninterrupted stretch throughout the summer and early fall, allowing for optimal ripeness and flavor development. We let all of our Cabernet lots hang late into October, when we harvested just before the light rains that finally crashed the party towards the end of the month.

Winemaking: The grapes were destemmed into one open-top tank for a brief cold soak before fermentation began spontaneously with wild yeast. Fermentation continued without the addition of any chemicals or enzymes, aided only by a bit of heat and occasional pump-overs. After pressing the wine went into 100% new French oak barrels and aged for 24 months, and was racked only once, immediately prior to bottling.

Vineyards: The Vintage Select combines lots from all of our vineyards to give the truest expression of the character of each vintage in Sonoma County. The 2013 edition of this wine was sourced in large part from Ellis Alden Vineyard in Alexander Valley, a mountain site featuring small berries packed with flavor and structure. The blend also includes small percentages of Cabernet from Baldwin and Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyards, as well as Malbec from Blau Vineyard in Knights Valley

Vintage: The second year of the great drought, 2013 featured another steady growing season with no major weather events – nearly perfect for wine grapes. While persistent warm weather in August had many in the Alexander Valley picking very early for fear of over-ripeness, the tempered weather at altitude allowed us to wait until October 15th to harvest. The grapes featured exceptionally ripe flavors despite reasonable sugar levels and perfect acidity.

Winemaking: The grapes were de-stemmed into small open-top tanks for a long cold soak to encourage development of color before fermentation began spontaneously with wild yeast. Fermentation continued without the addition of any chemicals or enzymes, aided only by a bit of heat and sporadic pump-overs. After pressing the wine went into French oak barrels – 50% of which were new – aged for 24 months, and was racked only once, immediately prior to bottling.

Vineyard: Ellis Alden Vineyard sits at an elevation of 1400 feet along the sun-drenched western slopes of the Mayacamas Mountains in the Alexander Valley. Isolated within a sprawling 4,000 acre ranch, the 200 acres of vines enjoy a pristine growing environment, above the fog line and sheltered from wind, frost, and negative pathogens. The Sauvignon Blanc is planted in a low spot in the vineyard where cool air collects, allowing the grapes to hang long enough to develop ripe flavors while retaining acidity.

Vintage: The second year of the great drought, 2013 featured another steady growing season with no major weather events – nearly perfect for wine grapes. While persistent warm weather in August had many in the Alexander Valley picking very early for fear of over-ripeness, the tempered weather at altitude allowed us to wait until September 13th to harvest. The grapes featured exceptionally ripe flavors despite reasonable sugar levels and perfect acidity.

Winemaking: We believe our Sauvignon Blanc to be a completely unique creation crafted to coax uncommon texture, complexity and age-ability from this often underappreciated white varietal. The wild yeast fermentation began in contact with the skins for a period of seven days before being pressed into a 50-50 blend of neutral French oak barrels and stainless steel. The wine finished fermentation in these vessels where it then aged sur-lie without racking for 6 months.

Vineyard: As you drive from Calistoga in Northern Napa across the county line into Sonoma’s Knights Valley, the first vines you see belong to Blau Vineyard. Protected from Pacific Ocean influences more than other Sonoma County growing regions, the warmer climate, slightly higher elevation, and volcanic soils here all combine to create a fertile hunting ground for Bordeaux varietal wines that are savory, mineral-driven, and full of character. Malbec is the primary focus for the ageless Bill Blau, and is planted on the prime hillside spots to attract sunshine and drain away excess moisture.

Vintage: The second year of the great drought, 2013 featured another steady growing season with no major weather events – nearly perfect for wine grapes. While persistent warm weather in August had many in the Knights Valley picking very early for fear of over-ripeness, we let our Malbec hang until October 17th and were rewarded with ripe flavors and the perfect balance of sugar and acidity.

Winemaking: Our Malbec from Blau Vineyard was destemmed into one open-top tank, where it cold-soaked for several days before fermentation started spontaneously with wild yeast. It was punched down manually twice per day for two weeks before pressing and racking into barrel. The wine aged for 24 months in French oak barrels, 50% of which were new.

Vineyard: Ellis Alden Vineyard sits at an elevation of 1400 feet along the sun-drenched western slopes of the Mayacamas Mountains in the Alexander Valley. Isolated within a sprawling 4,000 acre ranch, the 200 acres of vines enjoy a pristine growing environment, above the fog line and sheltered from wind, frost, and negative pathogens. Our Cabernet Sauvignon comes from a prime hillside spot on the North Knoll with southern exposure that packs the grapes with powerful structure and expressive flavors.

Vintage: The second year of the great drought, 2013 featured another steady growing season with no major weather events – nearly perfect for wine grapes. While persistent warm weather in August had many in the Alexander Valley picking very early for fear of over-ripeness, the tempered weather at altitude allowed us to wait until October 15th to harvest. The grapes featured exceptionally ripe flavors despite reasonable sugar levels and perfect acidity.

Winemaking: Our Cabernet Sauvignon from Ellis Alden Vineyard was destemmed into one open-top tank, where it cold-soaked for several days before fermentation started spontaneously with wild yeast. Fermentation was aided only by a bit of heat and daily pump-overs for two weeks before pressing, after which the wine was fined with egg whites before racking into barrel. The wine aged for 24 months in 100% new French oak barrels and was bottled unfiltered.

2012

Vineyard: One of the most famous plots of land in all of Napa, the Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard is located on the valley floor in Rutherford between Conn Creek Road and Silverado Trail. The well-draining, gravelly loam soils from the former creek bed combine with ideal sun exposure to yield wines with richness, fruit intensity and structure. This wine is sourced from the B1a and B2b blocks of the vineyard, planted in 1992 to Cabernet clone 7.

Vintage: From the beginning 2012 was destined to be an epic vintage, as textbook spring conditions produced steady flowering and an ideal fruit set. Clear warm days and cool nights continued on an uninterrupted stretch throughout the summer and early fall, allowing for optimal ripeness and flavor development. We let all of our Cabernet lots hang late into October, when we harvested just before the light rains that finally crashed the party towards the end of the month.

Winemaking: The two vineyard blocks were de-stemmed separately into open-top tanks for brief cold soaks before fermentation began spontaneously with wild yeast. Fermentation continued without the addition of any chemicals or enzymes, aided only by a bit of heat and occasional pump-overs. After pressing the wine went into French oak barrels – 75% of which were new – aged for 24 months, and was racked only once, immediately prior to bottling.

Vineyard: Bavarian Lion Vineyard is a hidden gem in Knights Valley, situated in the saddle of the Vacas Mountain range between northern Napa Valley and Alexander Valley. Protected from Pacific Ocean influences more than other Sonoma County growing regions, its warmer climate, slightly higher elevation, and volcanic soils all combine to create a fertile hunting ground for Bordeaux varietal wines that are savory, mineral-driven, and full of character.

Vintage: From the beginning 2012 was destined to be an epic vintage, as textbook spring conditions produced steady flowering and an ideal fruit set. Clear warm days and cool nights continued on an uninterrupted stretch throughout the summer and early fall, allowing for optimal ripeness and flavor development. We were able to harvest the Malbec just before the light rains that finally crashed the party towards the end of October.

Winemaking: The grapes were destemmed into one open top tanquito for a long cold soak to encourage development of color before fermentation began spontaneously with wild yeast. The must was treated gently and sparingly, with only occasional manual punch downs, occurring at most once per day. After pressing, the wine went into two neutral and one new lightly toasted French oak barrel, and was left completely alone for 14 months until being racked for bottling.

Vineyards: The Vintage Select combines lots from all of our vineyards to give the truest expression of the character of each vintage in the North Coast of California, primarily Sonoma County. The 2012 edition of this wine was sourced in large part from Baldwin Vineyard in Alexander Valley, a small secluded site tucked away a few hundred feet above the valley floor with iron rich soils. One barrel each from Ellis Alden Vineyard and a valley floor site in Rutherford round out the blend, lending the wine structure and bright red fruit respectively.

Vintage: From the beginning, 2012 was destined to be an epic vintage, as textbook spring conditions produced steady flowering and ideal fruit set. Clear warm days and cool nights continued on an uninterrupted stretch throughout the summer and early fall, allowing for optimal ripeness and flavor development. We let all of our Cabernet lots hang late into October, when we harvested just before the light rains that finally crashed the party towards the end of the month.

Winemaking: The grapes were de-stemmed into small open-top tanks for a long cold soak to encourage development of color before fermentation began spontaneously with wild yeast. Fermentation continued without the addition of any chemicals or enzymes, aided only by a bit of heat and sporadic pump-overs. After pressing the wine went into French oak barrels – 50% of which were new – aged for 24 months, and was racked only once, immediately prior to bottling.

2011

Vineyard: One of the most famous plots of land in all of Napa, the Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard is located on the valley floor in Rutherford between Conn Creek Road and Silverado Trail. The well-draining, gravelly loam soils from the former creek bed combine with ideal sun exposure to yield wines with richness, fruit intensity and structure. This wine is sourced from the B1a block of the vineyard, planted in 1992 to Cabernet clone 7.

Vintage: With persistent cool and wet weather throughout the growing season, 2011 was dubbed by many in Napa as the “Bordeaux vintage.” The split canopy trellising in the B1a block protected our vines against the frost, rain and hail that this strange year brought, allowing us to wait longer to pick than most wineries. We finally harvested on October 29th, with the longer hang time giving us increased flavor development at perfectly balanced acid levels.

Winemaking: In one small lot, the grapes were de-stemmed into an open-top tank for a brief cold soak before fermentation began spontaneously with wild yeast. Fermentation continued without the addition of any chemicals or enzymes, aided only by a bit of heat and sporadic pump-overs. After pressing the wine went into French oak barrels – 55% of which were new – aged for 24 months, and was racked only once, immediately prior to bottling.

A Note on Tasting Notes:

We try to provide all of the information our customers need in order to learn about and enjoy our wines, but we try to avoid sensory descriptions in our notes. We know what the wine tastes like to us, but we would prefer that you be the Judge. Send us your tasting notes to palmer@judgepalmer.com and we’ll publish the best entries here on our website.